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Topic: Over Wintering (Read 5984 times)

Got a question about insulating hives for winter. I know down south alot of people only have to use tar paper on the outside of the hives, as your winters are much milder than the ones we experience up here in Canada. Our average has got to be -20 celcius to -30 celcius for about 4 months (not sure what that is in Farenhiet) and I'm wondering if anyone with experience with these temps can suggest how thick of insulation to use on exterior of box. I've designed a lid with insulation built into it that will stay on all year round, 2-3/4 inch wood covers (20x16) with R7.5 insulation in between enclosed around the edges (none of the insulation is visable) a feeder hole in the center and a 3/8 " deep, 3"wide, 5" long, vent for moisture and cleansing flights. Just wondering what R value I should use on the entire exterior of the Hive? I was going to use R28 on all sides and a R28 pillow on the top (all together R35.5 for top insulation) with black vapour barrier instead of tar paper. Would this be excessive and have any negative effects if it is over insulted? Thanks for any information.

I've designed a lid with insulation built into it that will stay on all year round, 2-3/4 inch wood covers

That kind of wooden cover is really heavy to handle. We have now stryrofoam hives which have relly good insulation values.

More than for winter insulation hive needs during spring upp to summer when they start brood raising.

In Northern Finland where they have -20 celcius to -30 celcius wintering in some kind of shelter is usual. One man puts his hives iside a hut which have made from insutating boad and he put "frost guard" heater inside. It connet electrict heating on when temperature goes under +5C.

Wintering under snow is usual.

And that feeding hole? You just need finger tip size hole in the upper part of hive that moisture comes out from hive.

You should accustome with some local beekeepers and learn from them how to handle hives in your area. By that you have a good reason to get new friends.

Finsky is right - check with a local beekeeper (if you can find one). This sounds like a lot of insulation for a hive.

I keep bees at 43 degrees N latitude and I do not add any insulation to the hives. I just make sure that there is plenty of ventilation through the hive and they are protected from the wind.

With all of the insulation, you are going to want to make it easy to remove it, just in case you get a warm spell in the middle of winter. And you will still need good ventilation, what you described sounds like it will not provide the ventilation.

Where are you in Canada...the artic circle? If you're right that winters get into about 20-30 below in celcius then thats 68-86 bellow in farenheight. One thing that makes me wonder is if it stays that cold for four months then how are the bees going to break cluster to cover more honey. If there's a cold snap like that that lasts for a few weeks you may have to previde some warmpth for the hive.

On that day, Blezard and his coworkers for the Weather Service of Canada filed a notch into the glass casing of an alcohol thermometer because the indicator within fell below the lowest number, 80 below zero. When they later sent the thermometer to Toronto, officials there determined the temperature at Snag had dropped to minus 81.4 degrees F, the lowest official temperature ever recorded in North America.

Atleast we are all catching up on our conversion charts. I was unsure what those temps were in farenheit as well. I'm from Manitoba in central Canada, I may have been exagerating on the average temps, but info from our National weather service says that the normal daily temps for parts of Dec all of Jan and parts of Feb are -17F = -27C add windchill to this and its the coming of the next ice age. The lids that I have made are really not all that heavy, maybe 10 lbs at most and do have adequate ventilation (3/8 deep x 3 inch wide x 5 inch long moisture vent/cleansing flight opening) along with the bottom entrance open. Basically just a built in inner cover with insulation. I have spoken to a friend of mine who has about 3000 hives and he has told me that R28 pillow+R7.5 insulation for the top. I'm pretty sure that he told me R28 for sides but can't remember and I won't be speaking with him for couple weeks now. So to be safe, I made side insulation wraps with R28, which I know will be aqequate, I'm just wondering if too much insulation can effect the hives negitively.

Got a question about insulating hives for winter. I know down south alot of people only have to use tar paper on the outside of the hives, as your winters are much milder than the ones we experience up here in Canada. Our average has got to be -20 celcius to -30 celcius for about 4 months (not sure what that is in Farenhiet) and I'm wondering if anyone with experience with these temps can suggest how thick of insulation to use on exterior of box. I've designed a lid with insulation built into it that will stay on all year round, 2-3/4 inch wood covers (20x16) with R7.5 insulation in between enclosed around the edges (none of the insulation is visable) a feeder hole in the center and a 3/8 " deep, 3"wide, 5" long, vent for moisture and cleansing flights. Just wondering what R value I should use on the entire exterior of the Hive? I was going to use R28 on all sides and a R28 pillow on the top (all together R35.5 for top insulation) with black vapour barrier instead of tar paper. Would this be excessive and have any negative effects if it is over insulted? Thanks for any information.

matz I would be more concerned about ample winter food and the number of bees in the hive than I would the amount of insulation, as the bees do not heat the hive, only the cluster. Try to keep the cold wind off of them, have winter escape and a neans of ventilation imabkpr

Finsky is right - check with a local beekeeper (if you can find one). This sounds like a lot of insulation for a hive.

I keep bees at 43 degrees N latitude and I do not add any insulation to the hives. I just make sure that there is plenty of ventilation through the hive and they are protected from the wind.

With all of the insulation, you are going to want to make it easy to remove it, just in case you get a warm spell in the middle of winter. And you will still need good ventilation, what you described sounds like it will not provide the ventilation.

What do you use to ventilate the hive? because i still didnt buy or did anything to it for the winter ventilation.. can someone suggest something.